This past Fall 2022, the College of Arts & Letters recognized 13 outstanding staff members for their service and exceptional work. Recognition took place at a college appreciation event and awards ceremony on Sept. 9, 2022. Staff awarded for excellence and leadership in Fall 2022. The highlight of this event was the presentation group and individual awards. These included: Years of Service…
Most people can recognize what words are real and which ones aren’t in the languages they know. However, sometimes a nonsense word might sneak through, especially when the word sounds and looks a lot like a legitimate one. Karthik Durvasula, Associate Professor in the Department of Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures at Michigan State University, is delving further into “wordlikeness judgments”…
A collaborative project focusing on “Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality in Africa: the History and Current Status of LGBTQ+ in Kenya,” led by College of Arts & Letters faculty Jonathan Choti and Danny Mendez, will bring two guest speakers from Kenya to Michigan State University this spring to share their knowledge, experiences, approaches, and ideas in implementing intersectionality and inclusion in curriculum design and pedagogical practices. The two…
As the inaugural Karen L. Gillmor Ph.D. Endowed Professor in Professional and Public Writing at Michigan State University, Kristin Arola, an innovative scholar and researcher, is not only teaching students persuasive and effective writing skills she also is showing them how to connect and make sense of their culture through their writing. “To have been selected to serve in this…
In this Conversations with CAL, Ryan Welsh, Assistant Professor of Media Acting in the Department of Theatre, discusses the making of "Mealworms," a short film created by more than 30 MSU students working together with industry professionals.
Associate Professor Tamura Lomax is going back to her roots to the discipline that first inspired her scholarly work. In January 2023, she will begin teaching classes as a faculty member of Michigan State University’s Department of Religious Studies. A scholar, author, and activist, Lomax never left Religious Studies, it’s always been an important part of her life, but now…
Alexis Black is always up for a good fight. And since February 2022, the Assistant Professor of Acting and Movement at Michigan State University has been choreographing stage combat for the Tony Award-nominated production of Macbeth, currently on Broadway, starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. Working alongside her long-time mentor David Leong, Black is the Assistant Fight Director for the production, which runs…
Rocío Quispe-Agnoli, Professor of Hispanic Studies in the Department of Romance and Classical Studies and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Gender and Sexuality Studies, is a 2022 recipient of Michigan State University’s prestigious William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award, which honors faculty members for a comprehensive and sustained record of scholarly excellence in research and/or creative activities, instruction, and…
Jon Keune, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, is exploring non-traditional teaching methods in one of the oldest fields of study. In a quest to see how changes to teaching style can affect student engagement, Keune is exploring transformational classroom models within the College of Arts & Letters. He has been experimenting with the “flipped classroom model” in his REL 340…
Kirk Domer, Professor of Scene Design in the Department of Theatre, has been appointed Acting Associate Dean of Academic Personnel and Administration and will serve in this position July 1-December 31, 2022, while Sonja Fritzsche, Associate Dean of Academic Personnel and Administration, is on research leave. "I am excited to join the College of Arts & Letters Deans' Team to…